Phase I - 2nd Deck

 

Song:  Losing My Religion

Group:  REM

Today was the beginning of Phase I of the second deck.

I have a lot of work to do...

but, it is all a labor of love.

Men...

in general...

love to improve things around the house.

We get a special pleasure of planning things out...

putting those plans into action...

and then of getting satisfaction with the results.

I woke up feeling much better...

so...

 after breakfast...

I gathered my tools and began Phase I.

My breakfast consisted of green curry.

An organized set of the right tools is a pleasure to behold.  :)

My mission for the day was mostly preparation.

I first had to remove the old satellite dish from the second deck.

(I don't use it...and in the future if I do...it will be Starlink).

The day was beautiful.

I had just removed the mounting screws.

I started taking this mounting bracket off...

but as I would have to lean over the railing too much...

I retightened the screws...

as I decided I would just leave it mounted.

I would later retrieve the satellite dish.

I then prepared the caulking gun with silicone caulking to seal the holes

left by the mounting screws.

The sealant will do until I put another coat of waterproofing on the deck railings.

I severed the transmission wire to the dish...

and carried the dish to my car.

Tomorrow (and Saturdays)...

for limited hours...

they have a trash transfer station in Cripple Creek.

You may dispose of objects too large for normal trash disposal.

I will go there in the morning.

I have this nifty caulk end seal...

with a smoother built in.

Having staged the old satellite dish in my car for tomorrow...

I then laid out some tools I would need to prepare the carpets 

for the next stage.

I had temporarily tacked down the carpets to keep them in place during storms...

until I could begin Phase I of the carpeting of the second deck.

So...

my next step was to remove all of the staples I had used...

so I could then rearrange the carpets to where I needed them.

I then used a section of carpet to cover the entrance area to the stairway leading 

to the first deck.

I made cuts around the post so I could fit the carpet just over hanging the stair landing...

with just enough overhang so water will drip straight down.

I will later be using waterproof friction tape...

and raised foot pads to keep people from slipping

(I ordered some for the five stairs leading to the upper driveway.

I will be ordering more later on for this stairway).

I laid out the section of carpeting to cover the whole stairway landing.

After I fully tack down all of the carpeting on the second deck...

I will then seal around the posts with silicone seal...

and then...

add some footing to ensure water doesn't collect around the posts.

I staged some of the carpet in the area it will be used.

These were the staples I had pulled up.

My next step was to blow off the deck to remove the tiny rocks that 

invariably get stuck to my boots and then drop off on the deck.

As the wind began to pick up...

and the temperature began to drop...

I called it a day.

I still feel under the weather some...

and I didn't wish to push it.

I hope to get most of the carpet laid tomorrow.

I just staged my tools inside until then.

After resting a bit in bed...

I got up to make a quick meal of eggs for egg sandwiches.

It was fast, easy, and nutritious.

My body still aches...

so...

again, after I type this article up...

I am going to take NyQuil...

and then get extra sleep.